Bright Ideas and Best Friends
by SongWriter18
Summary: A short little thing responding to 3-6 ep. Joy wins at Senet, saving Nina, and they are almost to the mask, but with a little complication. Will Joy steal Fabian's heart, or will Nina keep it? Will Sibuna get the mast before Victor? READ TO FIND OUT!


**Okay, this is a short little thing I wrote as a response to 3/6/12's episode, where *SPOILER*: Fabian includes Joy in Sibuna to solve the senet game task. Did anyone else scream at their TV? Well, this is just how I think it will end, if you haven't watched the episode yet, there are spoilers in this. I DON'T OWN HOUSE OF ANUBIS! So, on with the (short) story!**

"Okay, Alfie, one step forward," Joy commanded surely.

Alfie stepped forward fearlessly, even though the spot was a danger spot. The giant guards turned the other way, and everyone on the board smiled. Fabian's face was glowing but determined. One more step, just one more step. He could only pray Robert Furbisher-Smyth didn't have any more tricks up his sleeve.

"Okay, now, everyone, one space forward!" Joy said. Alfie, Amber, Patricia and Fabian did as she commanded, and suddenly, they were thrown back towards Joy. They landed on their feet, and Robert's voice echoed through the hall.

"You have succeeded. Your fallen friend you shall reclaim, you need only play one more game. The key to the mask will come to your hand, when at last, only five will stand."

Joy looked around, confused. "What did that mean?" She asked, confused. "What mask?"

Amber glanced at Fabian, smiling slightly. He hadn't even told her about the mask. Maybe Fabian had had the right idea after all.

Hundreds of feet below them, even Nina could hear the echoing voice. She caught every word, not understanding the, 'only five will stand', part. She heard a sucking sound coming from the hole she'd descended, and walked over to it, confused. Immediately, she was sucked up into the tube and back up to the board. She landed on the very spot she'd fallen, and the solid floor beneath her was a relief.

Amber, Alfie, Patricia and Fabian stood, eagerly staring at the board, wondering how Nina would come back. Joy stood back from the original Sibuna group, confused and scared, but also proud of herself. Maybe that would show Fabian she wasn't all bad. Maybe he'd like that she saved Nina. But as she stared at the empty board, she lost hope.

Fear clutched at Fabian's heart after a few moments. Was Nina still okay? But he need not worry, because before everyone's eyes, a girl floated out of the ground like a ghost. The tile beneath her slid to a close, and Nina landed gracefully. She looked around in awe, and everyone squealed happily.

Nina raced forward, throwing her arms around Fabian gladly, tears cascading down her cheeks. Fabian held her, whispering soothing and apologetic words in her ear. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This was entirely my fault. I'm sorry."

Nina shook her head. "It wasn't your fault. It's okay."

Nina pulled back after a moment, and both halves of Fabina blushed, then Nina ran to hug her other best friends. As she finally pulled away from them all, wiping away her tears and taking a deep breath to tell them all Victor's father had told her, she froze, spotting Joy.  
>"What is she doing here?"<p>

Joy smiled, trying to keep the malice out of it. "I won the game."

Nina looked questioningly at her friends, biting her lip.

Fabian sighed, he had to tell her the truth. "Nina, we needed help with the game. We kept -well, I kept- failing, and Alfie almost fell too. So…"

Fabian was cut off by Amber. "I said we should ask Joy for help, because she's good at chess."

Fabian shot a curious glance at Amber, and Nina was looking at her friends with wide eyes. Amber looked at her friend. "Sorry. We didn't tell her everything, though! She doesn't even know about the M-A-S-C-K!" She said, trying to spell mask.

Nina nodded sullenly, but then her heart sped up. She whirled around. "The mask!" But the mask was still in its encased state, with no way to unlock it. "But…"

Behind Nina, Patricia broke into a grin, and it was a good thing things had turned out this way. She walked up to Nina and whispered in her ear. "Joy is here. The riddle said we'll get the key to the mask when only five stand! There's six of us!"  
>Nina smiled at her friend. "You're a genius, Patricia! But, what about the other game?"<p>

Patricia shrugged. "I don't know. Let's leave and come back later tonight."

"We can't! What if Victor comes down here and somehow gets it!" Nina protested.

"Fabian could take Joy up," Patricia suggested.

"No," Nina said, her mouth hardening. "You take her, then come straight back down here."  
>"Okay, act like you're right behind us."<br>Nina nodded, and Patricia turned, putting their plan in action.

Joy turned as she and Patricia arrived at their room, still babbling about how good she was at senet. "Where are the others?"

Patricia's eyes widened. "Um, I don't know," she looked at her friend. "Joy, you know you can't tell anyone about what happened tonight, right? Like, under no circumstances. Not a peep."

Joy nodded, pretending to pull a zipper over her lips.

Patricia smiled. "I'm going to go find the others…"

"Okay, I'm coming!" Joy smiled.

Patricia turned. "No, uh… you stay here. I'll be back in five minutes. They must have just gone… into the living room, or come out of the tunnels another way. I'll be right back," she said, turning and rushing off.

Patricia hurried down the long, winding halls, finally arriving out of breath at the senet board with her friends. "Okay, I don't think Joy followed me."

Amber nodded. "Good."

Nina nodded, biting her lip again to refrain from going off on her friends for including Joy. As much as she hated to admit it, she owed Joy.

The Sibuna gang lined up, turning to face the board. The waited there for a moment, and suddenly, there was a blast of light, shining all around them, and wind, whipping the girls' hair around. The entire gang all grabbed the nearest thing. For some, the wall, others, a guard, and for Fabian and Nina… each others hands.

As sudden as it had arrived, the wind and light stopped, and everyone let go of their support, aside from Fabian and Nina.

There, glowing on the danger space Nina had fallen down was an old, golden key.

The key to the mask.

Nina's heart raced, and she released Fabian's hand without even blushing. She rushed forward, despite her friends' yelps, and plucked up the key. It glimmered in the dim light, and Nina stepped forward, unlocking the mask.

The mask was indescribable. It was pure gold, yet light as a feather, and shone as if it had not been deep in a tunnel for many decades. It seemed to glow in Nina's hands, and suddenly, a different light appeared. The dark, shadowy figure of Senkhara appeared before Nina. The ghostly queen took the mask from the Chosen One's fingers and placed it on her face.

"I knew it was an accessory!" Amber muttered behind them. But no one listened to her.

"You have done well, Chosen One. I will not bother you any more, I am at peace. The mask is safe, and so are you," she said, her voice less assertive. Nina could only see the ghost's eyes, but they looked… peaceful. Content. The forgotten ruler dissolved into dust, along with tiny clouds of black off of the Sibuna members, and, unknown to them, Nina's grandmother and Vera.

The curses were lifted, and everything in the house was calm, for about two moments.

Nina turned, smiling unbelievingly at her friends. They all checked their ankles, forearms and anywhere else they'd gotten the jackal's mark, finding only their own skin.

A small but excited cheer erupted in the chamber, and everyone ran forward to meet Nina, cheering. Fabian picked Nina up off her feet, twirling her in a circle and grinning the whole time. "We did it!" he cheered.

When Fabian finally set Nina back on her feet, she was slightly dizzy, her head was pounding from thirst and hunger, and she was overwhelmed with excitement, but amidst all the craziness, she felt this was the right moment. She had to tell, or rather _show _Fabian how she really felt. So she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

An even louder cheer erupted from Amber, followed by less enthusiastic ones from Alfie and Patricia.

**Okay, it wasn't the best, but what do you think? Please no hurtful comments, I know it isn't my best, but it was just an idea I had. Thanks for reading, review! ~S~**


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